RNLI is the main charity in charge of 350 lifeboats in the UK and Ireland (plus 108 relief lifeboats) which cost lots of money to build, and another £1500 or so to train each volunteer. It also pays for salaried lifeguards on around 240 beaches (which in 2022 saved around 117 lives). Like all ‘big charity’, there is a paid Chief Executive. But this one has chosen not to accept annual pay increases, and also refuses other allowances (and doesn’t drive a company car!)
RNLI however is not the only charity that keeps us safe near the sea.
- NILA represents around 30 independent lifeboats.
- Royal Yachting Association has safety information for boaters (read tips to be a sustainable sailor).
- National Coastwatch is independent of HM Coastguard and provides a watch service to keep swimmers, boaters and others safe near our waters. One of the best ways to avoid false call-outs is to avoid using fire lanterns (these are mistaken for coastal flares and risk lifeboat crew lives – as well as causing fires on land).
- Surf Life Saving GB is the organisation where you can train to become a lifeguard. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a David Hasselhoff or Pamela Anderson, this is where to start!
- Home and Dry is a site for fisheries with safety information (whether you agree with fishing or not, obviously those out fishing are at greater risk).
What you may not know is that RNLI volunteers risk their lives to help those stranded in the English channel, if crossing the waters in desperate circumstances. They are above politics, and say that for 200 years they have helped anyone in trouble, and are not going to change that. Also it’s the law to help anyone in international waters, who is in trouble.
tips from RNLI to keep safe near the sea
Also read how to stay safe with dogs at the beach.
- Choose to visit a beach monitored by RNLI, as their experts can often spot incidents and dangers before you, giving time to warn.
- Check the times for tidal causeways, before driving your car. Many people get stranded each year, because they don’t check beforehand.
- Carry your phone in a waterproof pouch, so you can still call for help if needed. Call 999 (UK) or 112 (Ireland) and ask for the coastguard.
- Learn to swim (children can get free lessons). Learning to swim helps to prevent drowning. Also see tips to keep safe on wild swims.
- Float to Live. if you find yourself in trouble, breathe normally, tilt your head back and submerge your years, and use your hands to stay afloat. Then call for help or swim to safety.
How to Rescue People from Quicksand
RNLI regularly has to rescue people stuck in quicksand (aka sinking mud). Obviously follow warnings and avoid areas where it is often found (Weston-super-Mare, Morecambe Bay etc). This is a mix of sand/clay and water that sinks even deeper, when you struggle.
The official advice is to ditch any backpacks, call the coastguard from your phone (hopefully in a waterproof pouch or have someone else do it), shout for help. Then sit down and lie back to distribute your weight to float. Gently wriggle your legs free, then try to backstroke back to shore.
Experts are trained to remove people from quicksand, so the sooner they arrive, the better (they usually have tools to pump water near your legs, to thin it out and release you).
A few famous lifeboat rescues
Henry Blogg is known as one of the most humble yet best lifeboat crew members ever. A quiet man who never got over the tragedy of losing his two children while young, there is a museum in Cromer (Norfolk) dedicated to his many rescues. He saved 873 lives (including a large dog from the sinking ship Monte Nevoso in 1932 – he adopted him and named him Monte and they became best friends, according to his wife).
On the island of Lindsfarne (Northumberland), there is a free museum dedicated to the local legend Grace Darling, a 10-0ar lifeboat built in 1865. The boat was named after she heroically rescued survivors of a vessel that wrecked on the nearby Farne Islands, travelling from Hull to Dundee. Half the ship sank in 15 minutes with many people (including children) dying, and from the local lighthouse, Grace saw the wreck and spotted survivors on rocks.
She and her father rowed out in strong winds and rescued five people, then she stayed behind to (with her mother) look after them, while her father and three other men rowed back to rescue the others. Sadly she died just 4 years later of TB (receiving the best medical care at Alnwick Castle, on instructions of the Duchess of Northumberland).
The town of Salcombe is situated on the South Devon coast, with some of the best weather in England and glorious sandy beaches (check before visits, as some beaches have seasonal dog bans). A very affluent area, there are many million pound homes that (like areas of Cornwall) lay empty most of the year), while local people can’t afford to buy, due to being priced out of the market. In 1916 the Salcombe lifeboat (an open rowboat back then) capsized and 13 of the 15 crew lost their lives, yet immediately a new crew as formed and continues to this day. The original lifeboat station is now a museum.
The Tragic Loss of Crew at Mousehole
The seas near many areas in England can be treacherous. In 1981, all 8 volunteer lifeboat men were killed along with the crew of the coaster vessel they were trying to save (which ran aground after seawater got into the fuel tank). Today the village of Mousehole (Cornwall) has a local train named after the boat’s crew. Within one day, local volunteers had formed a new lifeboat crew.
